Eagles News: DeMarco Murray needs to have a big game against the Cowboys

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Eagles' Murray needs to jump-start rushing game vs. Cowboys - Inquirer
Murray rushed for 9 yards on eight carries in his first regular-season game with the team. It was the third-lowest yardage total of his career, and the worst since he was a rookie in 2011. He played only 45 percent of the offensive snaps. The Eagles need more from the Cowboys' former star this week. "We're not freaking out or trying to change a bunch of things," Murray said. "We believe in what we're doing. We know we have the right players and the right coaches to get the job done."

Sam Bradford's lack of big plays a concern for Eagles? - CSN Philly
He’s only the 18th quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 52 passes in a game and complete more than 69 percent of them. The absence of big plays is notable. But do big plays matter? Let’s delve into that. There are 33 active quarterbacks who’ve thrown at least 1,000 career passes. If you rank those 33 in order of percentage of career completions of at least 25 yards, virtually all the most successful quarterbacks are at the top of the list and the least successful are at the bottom (see full breakdown). The top 15 have won 86 playoff games and 12 Super Bowls. The bottom 15 have won a total of nine playoff games and no Super Bowls. That is pretty overwhelming evidence that the better a quarterback’s ability to throw the ball down the field, the more success he’ll have. Bradford ranks 29th on that list, ahead of only Chad Henne, Ryan Tannehill and Shaun Hill.

5 over/unders for Eagles' home opener vs. Cowboys - PhillyVoice
In his Eagles debut, Murray carried just eight times for a whopping nine yards. He did account for two of the Eagles three touchdowns, however, so it wasn't all bad. However, his 1.13 yards per carry was the worst single-game performance of his career. And you can expect to see him do better against his former team. Last season, when he led the NFL in rushing, Murray averaged 4.7 yards per carry and averaged a career high 5.2 YPC the season before last. In fact, 4.1 YPC is his lowest single-season average in his first four years.

Week 2 - Iggles Blitz
Usually Week 2 means you get another chance to see your team in action, as you try to figure out how good this year’s squad is (or isn’t). Not this year. When you lose the opener and face 1-0 Dallas the next week, that changes things. I don’t believe in "must win" games until you’re at that point where you literally must win to remain in the playoff hunt. Going 0-2 would not end the season. It would complicate things and would also make life miserable.

Three-And-Out: Eagles-Cowboys Predictions - Birds 24/7
The defensive tackle made some waves heading into last year's Thanksgiving Day matchup when he said he was tired of the talk about Dallas' offensive front and didn't think there was "anything special or spectacular about them." Fueled by the one-sided media attention, 'The Nobodies' started the process of outgrowing their nickname with a strong showing in the Eagles' 33-10 win. They'll need to have another big day on Sunday. You can argue whether the Cowboys' O-line is overhyped but there is no denying its ability to shield off defenders both in both the pass and ground game. It falls on the Eagles' defensive line to penetrate the wall and disrupt the operation at the point of attack.

Sam Bradford, Eagles have plenty to prove against Dallas Cowboys - NJ.com
There are plenty of definitions of a "must-win" game, making labeling the Eagles' matchup with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday tough to do.   Whether you think it is a must-have game or not, however, one thing is sure.  The Eagles have plenty to prove, and plenty to play for. Dropping to 0-2 is not the end of the world. Although with only 12% of 0-2 teams in the past 25 years ending their season in the playoffs, it is pretty close.

Aikman Sizes Up This NFC East Battle - PE.com
Troy Aikman spent his Friday at the NovaCare Complex preparing for Sunday's FOX television broadcast in a production meeting getting a feel for a team coming off a tough first game now preparing for its NFC East rival.

The NFL has a double standard for defensive players - SB Nation
The league says it's focused on player safety, but that seems mostly reserved for offensive players.

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